Spacing table



et 26, 1948. L. cf BEATTY SPACING TABLE 2 shelves-sheet 1 Filed July 3l,1946 gi/y n L. C. BEATTY SPACING TABLE Filed Jul;r 31, 1946 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 26, 1948 UNITED i'Oflz'l'lC115 fSPACIN GTABLE 'Lowell Crawfordjeatty, Hammond,1nd .,fassignor tto BeattyMaohinetd; Manufacturing Company, AI-Iammond,.-1nd .a.corpora'tion o'fIndiana ..1 ,-'Ihe .presentinventi'on relatesit'ospacingtables, and,.fmore particularly, to .sa :spacing :table for handling .-I-beamsfwhich are zi'toxbe wokeiizonlby punches-and presses.

-In ;the use of I-beamswcertain ropera'tionssmus't be :performed to sfit.thle.-I-:beam` forfth'e particular use zto :which it is tto .belapplied. `In the :instance of 4large structural shapes, I-:beams have*Ithe flanges and webs punchedzfor the use .'of.=rivets, bolts, .andLauxiliary pla-tes. Toperformsuch .operations on I-beams, :there ;is.generally lemployed a. .relatively-large y.punchwhich.isiprovidedawithsa set of punches foritheI-ibeamzfl-angestandanother set of punches forthe web. In order to punch` the fweb, .the .Lbeamisplaced:onzafspacing-table having :a pluralitylof spaced-.apart*stationsfl each provided .withithe necessary support rollersfsofrastogposition the Il-.beam horizontally-.sothatsit .may be.` movedperiodically., into proper spaced 'position relative to the punches .of:the Ilpunch press. ,In order to punch .the vflanges `it .has along'.fbeenA customary to employ .aa :plurality of fstations,1feach providedwith .a .large roller mounted lon .1an/fadjustable rsupport. .'I'husliar, rwith each different lsize and 1 weight `of :1T-beam it has.beenznecessary to adj ust .the :individual .stations ywhich serve tosupport `the ,I-beam on its .lower :flanges bvious1y,fof course,`suchmanner :o16 handlingithebeam has .the disadvantage :offreguiringfraccurate adjustment ofeach support.,at eachfstation. It,therefore, wouldzbexdesirableito provide aadifferent manner ofsupporting zthe I-beam sofas `:to llavoid the .necessity of individualadjustment :of y.each support whenever diierent sizexI-Joeams faire .tobe worked on.

In accordance `with the `@present :.invention, .it is .proposed .toovercome .the 'disadvantage heretofore encountered in fthe 'handlingzofjI-beams by supporting the .lfbeam :.on the vzunderside of 'the flangein the proximity of the --web. .The-,underside .of .the flange would.then yhextted to .the punch .so that the underside .coincides with .thetopsurface of thepunch die. .lnordertoinsert into the spacing table an'Il-beam vsupportedin this manner,'there is provided, inaccordance withthe presentinventiom kapivote'd support arm at each station -which isinterconnected'with a`unitary control means. The-unitary 'control vmeansmoves ythe lpivotecl support outwardly ifor the-=in sertion and `removalof 'the Ibeam.

.It,".therefore, is the object of the present 'invention Vto `provide animproved `spacing table Y*for handling l-zbeams in-:theirivertical:position.

.fIt is a :further :object nf the presentxinvent-iontomrovi'de.anzimprovedfspacingitable-for1useiwith stomme.. (01.154487)punches'fandgpresses .which -will handle'a-plurality of.. sizes fandweights of .-'I-sbeamswithout adjustment.

4Other f-and :further objects vof fthe present rinventionsubsequentlywill ibecome fapparent by reference to .the `following.description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawingswherein:

vv:Figure 1.shows portions. of thetrailingsand, pullingzspacng tablesv:whicheooperate withfa punch or press.;

Figure .2 is .a :cross-.sectional -view across .one-of the spacingytablesas :seendn the-direction'of the arrows .-along theline .2-,2 .of.Figure .-1 and Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view.as.seen 4in thedirectionof ,the arrowsialong ythe horizontal line .3-.3 of Figure2.

In. Eigure .-1 there :is V.shown va dotted Yline v.representation .i llwhich indicates -.a punch gpress-rof the .type which is .provided ywitha lplurality of sets ofdies..for performing workfonthe web y.and the.flangesof an I-.beam H. Mounted to thefleft of .the punch `or .press i|11.- in .Figure .1 .there v.is ra trail end spacing table which.-is..constructed in accordance withthepresent invention. The-trail endspacingtableis composed-.of a plurality of sections .I2 .extending`.between spaced support stations `fill. Inoneernbodiment, the spacingtable for .the vtrail .end consistedof :six sections and seven supportstations. Adjacent each-end l.the penultimate station is .provided .withVa .fluid-.operated piston i6 inacylindersecuredto the support .station.and :arranged to .actuate .ashaft t8 which extends-.between all of the.stations.

.Onthe pull .endofthe-.pressfas seen inrFigurel, another spacing tableisvprovided which :has in oneembodiment six similar. sections 20, such asthat shown and .whichhas an additional .section for Asupporting agrippingmechanism which .is

carried on apluralitvofrails .22 Iwhicho'verhang eachV end of .thespacing tableY by an. amount of .the orderof.that.illustratedinFigure 1. Thepullend spacing table, therefore,`.has a plurality .of support statonsfzd :so that fora sixfsectionpullend table vthere would be severrsimilar .support stations ."24 andanadditional Vsupport station which carries thelast: section .of therails '.22. "This construction inone embodiment resulted in atrailer endtable which vvhad. an 'overall length of about fifty-two feet and'avpull endtable'whichhadan overallilengthof about sixty-five feet,

vBy-referring to Figures2-and 3,thedetails of the 'structurewill'readilyfbecome apparent. 'Each station ll'f-has `three foundations26, "-28, and-311, whichicarr-yverticali-beamsii, 34, andf36. "The 44,which are adjustable along the axis of the 5 5 rod 42. The other end ofthe rod or shaft 42 is supported in a bearing housing 46, which ismounted on a support ledge 48 formed b'ylcuttingy inwardly a shortdistance from the upper extremity of the I-beam 36. The upper extremityof the I-beam 36 carries a longitudinally-extendf' ing angle or L-beam58 which may be further K, supported by brackets 52 mounted on opposite'sides of the Web of the I-beam 36. The brackets 52 preferably aresecured to the web of the I- beam 36 by Welding and the angle iron 501salso secured in position by welding to the I-beam'36.

The adjustably-positioned wheels or' rollers 44, carried bythe shaft 42,engage the web of an I-beam so that the I-beam may be moved in ahorizontal position to-and lfrom the'punch or press which is to performoperations on the' web of -the rI-beam. n The tops of the rollers 44 arealigned so as to be contiguous to a plane passing" through the topsurface of the dies in the punch press I6.' y'l'his manner of supportingthe I-beam in a horizontal position is similar to the manner ofsupporting the I-beam heretofore employed in the prior art.

, In accordance with the present invention', there is provided animproved manner of'supporting theI-bearn in a vertical position byproviding at each station a support arm 54 which is vmounted on theangle beaml 38. The arm 54 is rigidly secured in position and is of asuitable configuration sol as to extend upwardly in a curved directionso as to have a horizontal axisl for a support roller 56. The supportroller 56 engages the underside of the ange of an I-beam in theproximity of its web. Preferably, the support roller 56 is mounted on ashaft portion of thev cent one side 0f the I-beam 58 there is flxedlymounted on the-shaft I8 a support arm 64, which extends outwardly fromthe shaft I8V and then upwardly'in a vertical direction and,finally, in

a'curved direction so as to have a horizontal shaft portionA whichsupports a roller 66; The roller 66 is similar to the roller 56 and,preferably, is mounted' on the arm 64` by a suitable bearing. From thesolid line representation in FigureZ, it is apparent that the arm 64cooperates with the arm 54 to support, by means of the rollers 66 andl56 respectively,` theundersides of the iiange; of an I-beamin theproximity of the web. j The crowned surfaces of the rollers 56 and 66-are tangential to a horizontalplane :which ,passesi cylinder I6 whichhas a piston rod T6.

ported' by the I-beam 12.

4 through the surface of the dies on the punch Ill in Figure l.

On the opposite side of the I-beam 58 the shaft I8 has secured thereto acrank or lever 68 which is carried to the shaft I8 by a key 10. Asimilar key or other means may likewise be provided for securing thesupport arm 64 to the shaft I8.

. Mounted-between the I beams 34 and 36 is a horizontallyearrangedI-beam "I2, which carries at one side a support plate 14. Mounted on thesupport plate 'I4 is a fluid-operated piston and The piston rod passesthrough a guide T8, which also is mountedl on the support plate 14. Theouter extremity of the piston rod I8 is connected to a "link 86 whichvin turn engages a bell crank which ,A is mountedon. a shaft 84 which iscarried by a suitable bearing'member 86 mounted on or sup- The bellcrank 82 is connected by a link 88 to the outer extremity ofthelcrankzor lever. 68. Actuation of the fluid cylinder-and. piston I6,Which may be eitherair or hydraulically operated, vmoves the Alevers andlinks between the piston rod.'I6 and the shaft I8 toxthe dotted lineposition shown in Figure 2, therebyvto movethe support arm 64 through anarc tothe dotted line position shown. In the dotted line position itwill be noted that the support rollers 66 are substantially beneath anangle or\.L-,beam. 98, which is mounted on the upper extremities of theI-beam 32. In this position thereisample space. between the rollers 56and 66 to provide forthe insertion and removal of I` beams.

-, :The horizontal beams y5I] and 98 serve as supportY tracks or runwaysfor an I-beam gripping' mechanism SI which is carried by a suitablecarriage having rollers 92.V The gripping mechanism 9 I engages theyI-beam or material to be moved so that the desired linear movement orspacing of the I-beam or material-may be obtained in order to perform asucceeding operation on the I-beam.

`,The gripping mechanism 9| is moved linearly by. `a handwheel S4 whichis connected to a suit` able mechanism vfor positively propelling thecarriage 9|. TheA propelling mechanism may comprise a gear which engagesa rack securedto the spacing table. The mechanism 9| is provided With asuitable gripping apparatus (not shown) for engaging the web of theI-beam when it is supported'by therollers 44, and with anothergrippingmechanism, as shown in Figure 2, for e'ngagingthe flanges .of the I-beamWhen it is supported by the rollers 56 and 66;

This latter mechanism includes forwardly ex-V suitable angeengagingmembers may be employed instead of ,the knife edges which however s noudengage ion opposite sides sdbstanuauy only relatively. small portions ofthe edges of thev I'bean1 .flangesV lThe -ange gripping members-l aresupported by blocks |06 which have threadedapertures fgorthe shaft |00and have T-shaped members supported within the slot of the 'cross' bar98.." Suchen-arrangement obvi'ates ,the .ne-

cessity of afmoreycomplicated.apparatus for engag-ing theI-beamby thewebportion when sup-.

ported vertically lbytl'ierollers 56 and 66 on the arms Stand-64.

The apparatus shown and described in conjunction yWithliigures 2 and Bhas been specified as a cross-sectional -view through a ytrail endspacing itable; The 'movement of the material as seen in Figure .1isfrom left to right. With the exception of "the extreme -right endsection of Evthe pullrendtable, the .construction of the pull end tableis similar to ythat described yfor the trail end table, and, hence, `thecross-sectional views in Figures `2 and? would merely be reversedflifacross-sectionallvi'ew was taken llool:- ing tow-ardthe -right -in alplane spaced slightly to the '-left -of :the corresponding actuatingipis'ton IBa of the pull end table.

Since the parts on the pull end spacing table are similar to the partson the trail end spacing table, -they have been given correspondingreference characters with the addition of the letter a. The letter awill, therefore, indicate that the arrangements are similar, but inreversed position.

It was previously mentioned that the pull end spacing table had anoverhanging portion 22 of the rails which support a gripping mechanism,and, furthermore, at the extreme right end had an additional sectionwhich merely supported the rails to support the gripping mechanism. Theadditional section is provided so that the gripping rnechanism may bemoved out of the way of the I-beam when it is to be removed f-rom thepull end table.

It has =been mentioned that the support arms 64 are moved out angularlyfor the insertion and withdrawal of the'I-beam Il. Obviously, on thetrail end table the arm 64' is moved outwardly in order to receive theI-beam, whereupon it is moved toward the punch l, and, subsequently,moves past the punch l onto the pull end table. Accordingly, thecorresponding arm 64a of the pull end table will, subsequently, beopened in order to permit the I-beam H Ato be removed therefrom.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that each spacing tableconsists of `a plurality of stations having vertical support members,such Ias the I-beams 32, 34, and 36. On each table two air or hydraulicpistons and cylinders are provided. It will also be appreciated that inaccordance with the invention it is possible to rapidly supply to thepress I0 different size beams without `the necessity of laboriouslyadjusting the level or height `of each support station for carrying theI-beam in a vertical position. The fluidoperated piston and cylinder I6may be readily controlled from a control panel near the press l0. Thisgreatly increases the rate of production of the work to be performed onthe I-beams since not infrequently the holes to be punched in suchI-beams may vbe of the same dimensions and same arrangements fordifferent sizes or weights of I-beams. Hence, in accordance with thepresent invention, a relatively simple to operate spacing table may beconstructed.

While for the purpose of illustrating and describing the presentinvention the drawings have illustrated a particular embodiment, it isto be understood that the invention is not to 'be limited thereby sincesuch variations in the structural arrangement and the componentsemployed are contemplated as may be commensurate with the spirit andscope of the invention `set -forth in the following claims.

1. A spacing table for -cooperation Jwith ra machine for performing Workon the flanges-'of an I-beam comprising -a series of linearly-spacedsupport stations, -each `being interconnectedwith and -means located`near lthe l"ends vof fsaid shaft for actuating said shaft.

2. A spacing table for cooperation with a machine for performing work onthe flanges of an I-beam comprising a series of linearly-spaced supportstations, each support station being interconnected with an adjacentstation by a rotatable shaft, each support station having a station-'ary support provided with a horizontal portion supporting a roller forengaging the underside of the ange of an I-beam in the proximity of theweb, each station having a pivoted support secured to said shaft andhaving a substantially horizontal extremity provided with a roller forengaging the underside of the I-beam flange on the opposite side of saidweb, said rollers being located so that a plane contiguous to the topsurface of said machine is tangential to the periphery of said rollers,and fluid-operated power means located adjacent the penultimate supportstations for actuating said shaft.

3. A spacing table for cooperation with a machine for performing Work onthe flanges of an I-beam comprising a series of linearly-spaced supportstations interconnected by a rotatable shaft, each support stationcomprising a pair of fixed vertical spaced supports, one of saidsupports having a fixed support arm provided with a horizontal shaftportion supporting thereon a roller, a horizontal member interconnectingsaid vertical supports, a bearing mounted on said horizontal member,said shaft being mounted in said bearing, a pivoted arm mounted on saidshaft and having a horizontal shaft portion supporting thereon a roller,said rollers on said pivoted arm and said fixed support arm beingarranged to engage the underside of the flange of an I-beam adjacent onopposite sides of the web thereof, and means adjacent the ends of saidshaft for actuating simultaneously the pivoted arms at said supportstations.

4. A spacing table for cooperation with a machine for performing work onthe flanges of an I-beam comprising a series of linearly-spaced supportstations each having a pair of fixed vertical spaced supports one ofsaid supports having a rigid support arm provided with a horizontalshaft portion having thereon a roller adapted to engage the underside ofthe ange of an I-beam adjacent the web thereof, a horizontal I-beaminterconnecting said vertical supports, a bearing mounted on saidI-beam, a plurality of horizontal beam members interconnecting thesupports of said stations, a shaft mounted in said bearing and extendingthrough similar bearings in other stations, a pivoted arm mounted onsaid shaft and having a horizontal shaft portion supporting thereon aroller adapted to engage the underside of the flange of an I- beamadjacent the other side of the web engaged by said first-mentionedroller, and power-operated means adjacent the ends of said shaft at theVtions, a pair of I-beam flange engaging members u 1,241,255

mounted on said guide member and said threaded shaft for engagingrelatively small opposite edge portions of said I-beam ange, and meansfor actuating said threaded shaft to adjust the posi- 5 tions of saidengaging members. v

LOWELL CRAWFORD BEATTY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 10 le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Payne Oct. 14, 1913 Hawthorne Sept. 25,1917 Number

